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enLeague Two: Burton 1 Stevenage 1It was a tale of two own goals at the Pirelli Stadium as League Two leaders Burton Albion played out a 1-1 draw against play-off hopefuls Stevenage.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/burton-albion-1-stevenage-1-both-teams-score-wrong-end-draw
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's Burton headed into Monday's encounter on the back of four straight league victoriesbut, on a boggy pitch,fell behind when Burton's Tom Naylor got the last touch on Kevin Lisbie's near-post flick.
It was a lead that Stevenage's early pressure deserved, although the visitors were handed a reprieve when ShaneCansdell-Sherriff had a goal ruled out for offside.
Stevenage failed to heed the warning, though, and Burton levelled on the stroke of half-time when John Mousinho's corner was put past his own goalkeeper by Bira Dembele.
Burton produced the better of the second-half chances, but were unable to find a winner.
A draw leaves Hasselbaink's men10 points clear of fourth-placed Bury, while Stevenage are two points adrift of the top seven.
news_articleMon, 30 Mar 2015 20:43:13 +0000368653 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comJohnson tasked with keeping Cheltenham upGary Johnson has replaced Russell Milton as Cheltenham Town manager as the Football Leagues bottom club seek to avoid relegation.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/johnson-tasked-keeping-cheltenham
The vastly experienced Johnson, 59, has been appointed until the end of the season, with Milton to be kept on as his assistant.
Cheltenham slumped to the foot of the League Two table on Saturday courtesy of a 3-0 home defeat to Plymouth Argyle and are two points from safety with seven matches to play.
Johnson, who becomes the club's fourth manager of the season, said: "Iwill be doing my best along with Russell to keep the club in the Football League.
"It's all hands on deck for the last seven games."
news_articleMon, 30 Mar 2015 18:52:03 +0000368607 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLeague One: Fleetwood 1 Preston 1David Balls superblate strike ensured Graham Alexanders Fleetwood Town clinched a 1-1 draw against local rivalsPreston North End on Sunday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/fleetwood-town-1-preston-north-end-1-ball-stunner-claims-share-derby-spoils
Alexander spent nine years as a player at Deepdale before a spell as caretaker manager and saw substitute Ball curl home an 85th-minute effort to deny title-chasing Preston a victory that would have put pressure on League One leaders Bristol City.
DanielJohnson had given the hosts an early lead at Highbury in a keenly contested derby, when he took control of a loose ball outside the area and curled a strike past Chris Maxwell.
Preston proceeded to dominate the remainder of the half and started the second period well, before Paul Huntington came off worse in aninnocuouspenalty box collision with Maxwell.
The former Newcastle United defender was later confirmed to be sitting up and talking, having been taken off in a brace, with Fleetwood going on to claim a share of the spoils.
Ball did well to work himself some space outside the area and lofted alooping effort over SamJohnstone tostop Preston moving within seven points of Bristol at the summit.
news_articleSun, 29 Mar 2015 16:27:26 +0000368109 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMcClean slams handling of poppy controversyJames McClean has slammed former club Sunderland for hanging him out to dry over his decision not to wear a poppy on his shirt to markRemembrance Day.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mcclean-slams-sunderlands-handling-poppy-controversy
The winger first refused the gesture in November 2012, and did likewise when playing for Wigan Athletic earlier this season.
McClean made the decisiondue to being born in Derry, where 14 people were killed when British soldiers fired on civilian protesters during 'Bloody Sunday' in 1972.
In a statement released ahead of Wigan's clash with Bolton in November, McClean explained that the poppy represents something very different to the people of his hometown, claiming wearing it would be "a gesture of disrespect for the innocent people who lost their lives in the Troubles– and Bloody Sunday especially."
However, McClean claimshe was not afforded the same opportunity to explain his feelings when he took thestance at former club Sunderland.
The Republic of Ireland internationaltold the Irish Independent: "They [Sunderland's fans]didn't understand. To them, I was disrespecting their country, disrespecting their fallen heroes, disrespecting their culture. I was getting booed every touch.
"When I asked to be allowed to speak about it, I was told that that was a bad idea, not to say anything and let it blow over. So it was kind of brushed under the table and I felt that that was more for the club's benefit than mine.
"When you think two years later I finally get to speak about it - for me, that's two years too late. I think I was hung out to dry by the press people at Sunderland."
news_articleSat, 28 Mar 2015 20:13:05 +0000367797 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comCheltenham player diagnosed with cancerCheltenham Town striker Eliot Richards has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, the League Two club have confirmed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/cheltenham-player-diagnosed-cancer
The 23-year-old is to undergotreatment for theillness, which will include surgery at the beginning of next week.
A statement on Cheltenham's website said that Richards is expected to make a full recovery.
"The club will,of course, ensure that every assistance is offered to Eliot and his family to help them through this difficult time," the statement read.
"In due course, we expect Eliot to make a full recovery.
"In the meantime we know that all Cheltenham supporters will want to join us in wishing Eliot and his family well in the days and weeks ahead."
Earlier this month Newcastle United winger Jonas Gutierrez returned to action after almost a year out with testicular cancer.
news_articleSat, 28 Mar 2015 19:56:41 +0000367776 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLeague Two Wrap: Pools climb out of drop zoneHartlepool United climbed out of the League Two relegation zone by picking up a 2-1 victory over Cambridge United - the club that dumped them into the bottom two back in October.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/league-two-review-hartlepool-climb-out-drop-zone-cheltenham-go-bottom
The Victoria Park outfit had lost to Cambridge by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture, but a fourth victory in a row sees Hartlepool get their head above water for the first time in five months.
Brad Walker headed the hostsin front in the 20th minute, before Matt Harrold's left-footed strike restored parity 12 minutes later.
Ronnie Moore's men refused to give up on the three points, though, and eventually found a winner when Scott Harrison fired into the top left-hand corner after 67 minutes.
The result pulls Tranmere Rovers - Moore's former club - back into the danger zone following their 1-1 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon.
Tranmere looked set to end the match empty-handed until George Green fired in an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Cheltenham Town go bottom following their morale-sapping 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Plymouth Argyle.
York City gave themselves some breathing space with a 4-1 win at Mansfield Town, despite having goalkeeper Robert Olejnik sent off shortly after the half-hour.
Russ Wilcox's men move four points clear of the relegation zone, ahead of Carlisle United - 2-1 losers at Oxford United with Troy Archibald-Henvillesent off - on goal difference.
At the top of the table, Shrewsbury Town and Wycombe Wanderers closed the gap on leaders Burton Albion to two points with 2-0 and 1-0 wins at Portsmouth and Dagenham and Redbridgerespectively.
Burton host Stevenage on Monday.
In the day's remaining fixtures, Luton Town slipped out of the play-off positions at Plymouth's expensecourtesy of a 2-1 loss at Northampton Town, Exeter City drew 1-1 with Morecambe,andBury's clash with Southend United was abandoned after six minutes due to a waterlogged pitch.
news_articleSat, 28 Mar 2015 18:29:18 +0000367757 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLeague One Wrap: County denied victory late onPaul Hart and Mick Halsall were denied a winning start to their Notts County tenure by a late Scunthorpe United equaliser in Saturdays 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/league-one-review-canavan-leaves-it-late-deny-county
The duo took temporary charge of the League One club following Shaun Derry's exit this week and came within four minutes ofclaiming maximum points.
Gary Jones and Balint Bajner turned the game on its head following Theo Robinson's early opener, only for captain Niall Canavan to salvage a draw for the visitors with a late header.
County stay outside the bottom four by virtue of goal difference, althoughCrawley Town's relegation fears worsened as they were beaten 2-1 by Gillingham to end a run of three straight wins in the league.
Jermaine McGlashan struck nine minutes from time to decide the game after Izale McLeod had cancelled out Bradley Dack's opener.
Results elsewhere also failedto go the way of Dean Saunders' side.
Coventry City and Crewe Alexandra both picked up wins on the road, 1-0 and 2-1 at Peterborough United and Sheffield United respectively, while Leyton Orient came from a goal down to see off 10-man Port Vale 3-1.
Following goalkeeper Chris Neal's dismissal early in the second half, a penaltyfrom Dave Mooney and a strike from Dean Cox,as well as a Neill Collins owngoal, saw Orient close to within a point of safety.
Bottom side Yeovil Town are winless in four after their 2-1 loss at Rochdale,while leaders Bristol City needed a late Joe Bryan equaliser to secure a point from a 2-2 drawagainst in-form Barnsley.
Jabo Ibehre and Josh Scowen looked to have set Lee Johnson's men on their way to three points, only for Bryan's long-range striketo find its way pastJoseph Wildsmith six minutes from time.
The resultsees Barnsley slip out of the play-off spots,while fellow promotion hopefuls Chesterfield andBradford City both bolstered their respective chances.
Billy Clarke's brace was enough to see off Oldham Athletic 2-0 at Valley Parade, while Sam Hird's late winner against Walsall gave Chesterfield a 1-0 victory thatkeeps themon course to break into the top six.
news_articleSat, 28 Mar 2015 17:53:55 +0000367744 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLeague Two: Accrington 0 Newport 2Newport County moved up to sixth in League Two with a comfortable 2-0 win at Accrington Stanley on Friday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/accrington-stanley-0-newport-county-2-visitors-sixth
After a goalless first half, Aaron O'Connor put Newport in front before Shaun Jeffers added the second deep into stoppage time.
The result puts Newport four points clear of eighth-placed Plymouth Argyle, while Accrington are 16th and without a win in seven.
news_articleFri, 27 Mar 2015 22:14:12 +0000367401 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comJones to Bournemouth leads deadline day loansChampionship leaders Bournemouth have bolstered their promotion bid with the loan signing of Cardiff City striker Kenwyne Jones.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/jones-bournemouth-leads-loan-deadline-day-moves-championship
Bournemouth are a point clear of Watford and Middlesbrough in a hotly contested scrap for a place in the Premier League.
Jones joined Cardiff from Stoke in January last year and has scored 13 goal in 36 appearances during his time in the Welsh capital.
Middlesbrough were also active on loan deadline day, with Netherlands international full-back Dwight Tiendalli joining from Swansea City.
Winger Mustapha Carayol left the Riverside Stadium on a temporary basis to finish the campaign with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Ipswich Town occupy the final play-off spot and manager Mick McCarthy brought in Crystal Palace duo Jonny Williams and Zeki Fryers to bolster his squad for the final push.
There was also a dual move for Reading, who added highlyrated Chelsea youngster Nathan Ake and Ghanaforward Kwesi Appiah from Crystal Palace.
England Under-20 striker Chuba Akpom, who made his Arsenal debut earlier in the season, will complete a breakthrough campaign at Nottingham Forest, while Manchester United defender Reece James and Liverpool midfielder Jordan Lussey have moved to Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
news_articleThu, 26 Mar 2015 18:32:49 +0000366933 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLeague Two Preview: Pools eye great escapeHartlepool United can climb off the foot of League Two for the first time in over five months when Cambridge United visit.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/league-two-preview-hartlepool-aim-continue-great-escape-leaders-burton-host-stevenage
It was October 25 when a 2-1 loss at the Abbey Stadium sent Hartlepool to the bottomof League Two - on Saturday, victory over the same opponents could lift them out of the relegation zone.
Ronnie Moore has masterminded an unlikely revival at Victoria Park, with three wins on the bounce turning a seemingly Conference-bound club into genuine survival contenders.
Just a point nowseparates Hartlepool from safety, but one of the men who helped spark the revival - loaneestriker Ryan Bird - has been recalled by his parent club, who just happen to be this weekend's visitors.
Bird will not be part of the Cambridge squad, with head coachRichard Money eager not to introduce an added distraction in a match that the visitors - seven points clear of the drop - can ill-afford to lose themselves.
Both sets of fans will have a keen eye on the matches involving the other sides in the relegation shake-up.
Second-bottom Cheltenham Town hostplay-off hopefuls Plymouth Argyle, while Tranmere Rovers - out of the drop zone on goal difference - welcome AFC Wimbledon to Prenton Park.
York City, who sit only one point above the bottom two, travel to Mansfield Town, while Oxford United and Carlisle United - 19th and 20threspectively - meet at the Kassam Stadium.
The picture at the top of the division is a little more clear-cut, with Burton Albion - who entertain Stevenage on Monday -sitting five points clear of Shrewsbury Town and Wycombe Wanderers.
Gareth Ainsworth's Wycombekept a degree of pressure on with a midweek win at Luton Town and face Dagenham and Redbridge next, while Shrewsbury travel to Portsmouth.
Elsewhere on Saturday, fourth-placed Bury play a Southend United side one spot below them,Exeter City tackleMorecambe, and out-of-form Luton head to Northampton Town.
​Friday's only match sees Accrington Stanley take on Newport County.
news_articleThu, 26 Mar 2015 17:44:07 +0000366920 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLeague One Preview: Duo aiming to inspire NottsPaul Hart andMick Halsall will be eager to make an instant impact when they take charge of Notts County for the first time in Saturdays crunch clash with fellow strugglers Scunthorpe.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/league-one-preview-duo-aiming-inspire-notts-county-revival-alexander-back-preston
Former Nottingham Forest manager Hart and ex-Peterborough United boss Halsall have stepped in on a temporary basis after County parted company withShaun Derry and his assistant Greg Abbott on Monday.
It remains to be seen how long acting academy manager Hart and head of academy coaching Halsall will lead the club, but the former is the bookmakers' favourite to land the job on a permanent basis.
The vastly experience Hart will do his chances of being named permanent boss no harm at all if he inspires a victory over a Scunthorpe side just two places above County, who are directly above the relegation zone.
Preston North End legend Graham Alexander can expect a rousing reception when he takes his Fleetwood Town side to Deepdale on Sunday.
Alexander made over 400 appearances for Preston in two spells at the club, but will be attempting to put a spanner in the works in his former club's bid to secure automatic promotion.
Second-placed Preston are unbeaten in 10 leaguematches and hold a three-point lead over Swindon Town, who occupy third spot, while Fleetwood are still in the hunt for a play-off spot.
Leaders Bristol City lifted the Football League trophy last weekend and hold a 10-point lead at the top of the table ahead of a home clash withplay-off hopefulsBarnsley,managed by former City midfielder Lee Johnson.
Swindon and Preston have a game in hand on Steve Cotterill's men and the former will attempt to secure a fourth successive win when they host MK Dons on Saturday.
Sheffield United and Peterborough will be striving to move a step closer to securing a play-off spot when they entertain Crewe Alexandra and Coventry City respectively.
Bottom side Yeovil Town are in desperate need of a win when they travel to Rochdale and the same goes for Leyton Orient against Port Vale at Brisbane Road.
Dean Saunders' resurgent Crawley Town side will be eyeing a fourth win in a row at home to Gillingham,Bradford City face Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield take on Walsall.
news_articleThu, 26 Mar 2015 16:08:10 +0000366856 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLabadie charged with violent conduct The Football Associationhas charged Dagenham and Redbridge midfielder Joss Labadie with violent conduct amid claims he bit Stevenage defender Ronnie Henry.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/labadie-charged-violent-conduct-after-biting-claims
The incident to which the charge relatestook place during Saturday's League Two encounter between the two teams, with Henry gesturingtoofficials that Labadie had sunk his teeth into his hand.
Labadiehas until March 30 to respond to the charge, which was issued on Wednesday.
In the aftermath of the game Stevenage manager Graham Westley stated that the issue was now in the hands of the police.
It is not the first time Labadie has been involved in such a flashpoint.
Last season, the 24-year-old was hit with a 10-match ban while at Torquay Unitedafter anindependent regulatory commission found him guilty of violent conduct, with twoChesterfield players - Armand Gnanduillet and Ollie Banks - claiming he had bitten them.
news_articleWed, 25 Mar 2015 19:00:44 +0000366518 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com10 Premier League players who could prove useful Championship loaneesWith the Football Leagues emergency loan window set to close on Thursday, Mark Blackburn picks out the men who could prove useful additions for the run-in...Mark Blackburnhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/10-premier-league-players-who-could-prove-useful-championship-loanees
Serge Gnabry (Arsenal)
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, Gnabry has represented Germany at various youth levels. A string of exciting displays helped him make 19 appearances for the Gunners after a promising breakthrough, but an injury in last season’s Champions League means his only appearances this season have been for Arsenal's under-21 side.
His recovery would be helped with more game time, but vying for a place alongside Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott will make that difficult. And in the absence of that, the fiery young German could give a Championship side a timely injection of quality before the season's end.
Kwesi Appiah (Crystal Palace)
Ghana international Appiah hasn’t appeared too much for Palace since he joined them in 2012 from Margate. Instead, he's been sent on a string of loans, with his two spells at Cambridge United proving most fruitful. His efforts were rewarded with a first call-up for Ghana in their provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations this year. He impressed, making the cut for their 26-man squad and playing in four games for Avram Grant’s side as they reached the final before losing on penalties to the Ivory Coast. His standout performance came in the 3-0 win over Guinea, in which he helped set up the first goal for Christian Atsu before doubling the lead himself. No surprise, then, that he was awarded man-of-the-match.
Steve Sidwell (Stoke)
After leaving Stoke on a free following his release by Fulham, the experienced midfielder has made only nine Premier League appearances for the Potters this season. A knee injury has hampered his campaign, but having warmed the bench for four games straight he may well prefer getting some minutes under his belt elsewhere. The ex-Chelsea man has admitted that competition for places is harder than he anticipated.
Jose Angel Pozo (Man City)
A former Real Madrid youth player, Pozo moved to Manchester City in 2012 with his younger brother Iker in a deal worth £2.4 million. An impressive first campaign followed, but an ankle injury disrupted his second. Since then he has flourished under the guidance of Patrick Vieira in City’s Elite Development Squad, and was promoted to the first team earlier this season due to injuries to both Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic.
His debut came in the 7-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup, a game in which he scored the sixth goal, and it was followed by a first Premier League appearance against Sunderland and first league start against Leicester after Edin Dzeko was injured in the warm-up.
Aged only 19, Pozo’s goalscoring, pace and technique have seen him shine for City and Spain’s various youth levels, so it is no wonder that Manuel Pellegrini’s side have high hopes for him.
TALENTSPOTTERMeet Manchester City's Spanish academy sensation who's next in line to succeed
Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Jose Mourinho’s man-of-the-match in the League Cup final didn't even play in it. But the Portuguese insisted that Chelsea wouldn't have even got there without Christensen's performance against Shrewsbury in the fourth round. Clearly the young Dane is highly rated by the Chelsea coaching staff. Naturally a centre-back, he has been trusted to play at right-back this season in his two games for the west Londoners. Still only 18, Christensen has represented Denmark's youth teams from U16 level and is now a regular in the U21 side. Chelsea’s loan policy has allowed the likes of Patrick Bamford, Lewis Baker and Nathaniel Chalobah to leave for experience elsewhere this season, and their great Dane at the back could be next.
Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle)
It was a welcome sight to see 'Jonas' on a Newcastle team-sheet again, when the Argentine was named in the squad for the 1-0 win against Villa in February having won his battle against cancer. And after featuring in the Magpies' last three games off the bench, Gutierrez will be looking to get back to full fitness with more game time soon. He's been involved in John Carver's short-term plans, but a loan move to the Championship might be beneficial for both him and Newcastle in the long run.
Harry Winks (Tottenham)
Winks is a product of Spurs' thriving youth academy, and his outstanding performances during the 2013/14 season have earned him numerous first-teamcall-ups, including being on the bench for three games in March and April. His first appearance came in the 1-0 win over FK Partizan in the Europa League this season, but he is yet to make his league debut. A lifelong Spurs fan, he models his game on players like Xavi and Zinedine Zidane and likes to create chances for the forwards in the final third.
Nick Powell (Man United)
Following his impressive performances in midfield for Wigan last season in the Championship and Europa League, Powell earned himself a loan move to Premier League Leicester. But his time in the East Midlands was shortlived. After only a handful of appearances for the Foxes, Nigel Pearson saw fit to terminate his contract early having reportedlybeen unimpressed with his commitment to training. In order to fulfil Sir Alex Ferguson's prediction that he'll one day be an England international, the former Crewe Alexandra starlet needs competitive playing time to once again prove why he was so sought after in the first place.
Cristian Gamboa (West Brom)
A stalwart of Costa Rica’s impressive run to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup, Gamboa signed for West Brom from Norwegian giants Rosenborg in August, with the Baggies having beaten off strong competition to land his signature. However, despite making 14 appearances this season, the 25-year-old has fallen out of favour with Tony Pulis. Though naturally a right-back, Gamboa is versatile, and both his attacking and defensive qualities make him capable of playing in midfield too. At The Hawthorns he's got Craig Dawson and Andre Wisdom to compete with, though, and a brief stint outside the top flight could help him become more accustomed to the English style of play.
Dan Potts (West Ham)
The son of former West Ham skipper Steve, Potts made his Premier League debut in the 2012/13 season and has made 13 appearances for the Hammers to date. The 20-year-old defender made his debut aged 17 in a Championship game against Burnley at Upton Park, and has regularly captained both the under-18s and under-21 sides. Loan spells at Colchester United and Portsmouth followed, and now back in the development squad he'll be looking to gain minutes elsewhere as he continues his push to become a West Ham favourite like his father. Potts has been capped by England at U18, U19 and U20 level, after one appearance for the United States' U20s back in 2011.
featureWed, 25 Mar 2015 18:00:00 +0000Joe Brewin366399 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comFootball League Wrap: Wycombe win thrillerWycombe Wanderers defeated Luton Town 3-2 in a thrilling League Two contest to open up a four-point gap to fourth-placed Bury on Tuesday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/football-league-review-wycombe-win-five-goal-thriller-sheffield-united-boost-play-hopes
Gareth Ainsworth's high-flying Wycombe made a great start when Sam Saunders bundled in the opener at Kenilworth Road in the third minute, only for Elliott Lee to level for the hosts fourminutes later.
Wycombe restored their lead from a Paul Hayes penalty and had a two-goal cushion when Alfie Mawson finished a fine move, butLuton were only one goal behind at the break thanks to Lee's second.
The goals dried up in the second half as both teams saw several chances go begging, but Wycombe remainthird in their hunt for automatic promotion, while slumping Luton - they have lost five straight matches - remain sixth, and inside the play-off positions.
In League One, Sheffield United strengthenedtheir spot in the play-offs with 4-0 battering ofrelegation-threatened Scunthorpe United at Bramall Lane - their second successive league win givingthem a six-point buffer on seventh-placed Barnsley.
Jason Holt's strike and a penalty from Jose Baxter put the hosts 2-0 ahead at half-time.
Jamie Murphy made it 3-0 in the 81st minute, before the home fans were left celebrating a red card for former Sheffield Wednesday defender Miguel Llera - whose foul on Marc McNultyin the penalty area earned a second yellow andallowed Baxter to score his second spot-kick.
At Boundary Park, Oldham dented Rochdale's play-off bid with a 3-0 victory - Rhys Turner helped himself to a brace, whileJonathan Forte was alsoon the scoresheet.
Rochdale, who remained in eighth,are three points behind play-off placed Peterborough United (56 points), but have a game in hand on them and also seventh-placed Barnsley (55).
news_articleTue, 24 Mar 2015 21:58:34 +0000366160 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comDyke proposes changes on homegrown playersGreg Dyke, the chairman of the Football Association, has outlined proposals for changing the rules concerning homegrown players in English football.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/dyke-proposes-changes-rules-home-grown-players
The suggestions are part of the England Commission, set up in 2013 to help improve the flow of young English talent coming through at the game's top level. Work permit regulations will also be more stringent.
Dyke has made the following recommendations:
- "Homegrown" players to be defined as someone who has been registered with any club affiliated to the FA for three years prior to their 18th birthday, rather than their 21st, as is currently the case.
- A reduction in the maximum number of non-homegrown players in a 25-man first-team squad from 17 to 13, phased over four years from 2016.
- A requirement that at least two homegrown players are "club-trained", meaning they have been registered to their current club for three years prior to their 18th birthday.
The England Commission has also identified four key areas that are preventing young English talent breaking through. They are:
- A lack of quality coaching.
- An absence of quality facilities at grassroots level.
- A lack of opportunities for homegrown players to play competitive first-team football between the ages of 18 and 21.
- The regulationof the English players market's effectiveness in preserving the desired balance of British, EU and non-EU players.
"Many of the home grown players being developed at these academies are not breaking through to play regular first-team football," Dyke said.
"The Premier League has already recognised the problem and introduced homegrown player quotas.
"But since those rules were introduced in 2010, the average number of homegrown players in a Premier League squad has stayed largely the same and has actually decreased significantly at the 12 clubs who have been ever present in the league during that period.
"These proposals will ensure that the letter of the law around homegrown players matches the spirit in which they were first conceived. We want the whole of the English game to support these proposals."
news_articleMon, 23 Mar 2015 18:42:36 +0000365682 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com